Far From Home
by Emo.Kidd
Summary: Can the Fellowship get the two strangers out of Middle-earth before it's too late? As always, a better summary inside. The Hobbits FINALLY come into the story! (I know it took forever. And please let me know if I should whack this story or not.)
1. Intro

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Far From Home

Author: Emo.Kidd

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Feed Back: Yes, please. I love flames. 'Specially the ones that have helpful hints. Those are the best. And if you have nothing nice or helpful to say, please don't try and be nice. I'm not made of glass and wont shatter because of one mean flame _(20, on the other hand might send me off to the nut house again.)_

Disclaimer: Tolken owns almost everything that you remember from, either the books or movies. I own Kendal and Jodi.

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Rating: G -- for now, but may go up as story continues.

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Time Frame: After _RoTK_ and After the re-growth of the shire. But before Frodo sails away with Gandalf.

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Summary (short): Can the, Fellowship get the two strangers out of Middle-earth before it's too late?

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Summary (long): Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are on one last adventure through the vast lands of Middle-earth. They were supposed to met the rest of the "Fellowship" in Bree, on March 1st, 1421: The Last of the Third Age by Shire Reckoning. But a few mishaps force the supposed, "happy" reunion off for a while. Because two girls, by the names of Jodi and Kendal; somehow got wisped away for a world of fancy, their own imaginations could not conjure up how it happened. And even though things seem fine, the world of Middle-earth is turning topsy-turvy with each moment the girls stay. Now with that in mind, the "Fellowship" must find a way to get the two back home. Or else it could mean the end of them all.

Can they do it? Or will they be too late?

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Notes: I don't know how this is going to turn out exactly. But I do know that I have no idea what I'm writing about half the time. I also know that here will be some violence and language issues, but that's a common mishap; I'm sure of it. Oh, and if you read this more than once and notice that things have been added; don't worry. I do it all the time, it's a norm for my writing anyways. 


	2. Falling Out of Reach

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Falling Out of Reach

Steel clanked against steel, as two swords swung through the air. Cutting it like a hot knife through butter. The air was light and a slight breeze past through.

"You don't have a chance!" A young female voice cried out, with another clash ringing from the swords as they clashed against each other again. 

"Yeah right!" Another young voice answered sorely, the swords ringed as they drew back. The two looked at each other with fire in there eyes. Both were breathing deeply and one quickly wiped a large chunk of her soft brown hair away from her eyes. Then, as they continued to stare, a smile creped upon the others face. Soon the two were engulfed with laughter. The swords dropped to the ground with a small clang, the two females; no older than sixteen, stepped towards each other and through the laughter, they embraced. "Jodi, I thought you were going to kill me just then."

"Really? Kendal, I'm sorry." Jodi answered, her face blushing into a deeper shade of pink than it all ready was. The two friends let go of each other and picked up their fallen swords. "Aren't you glad there not real then?" she asked, running her finger along the edge of the blunted blade. Kendal nodded and swiped hers in front of her with a swooshing sound.

"Are we still on for tomorrow?" Kendal asked, looking hopefully into Jodi's face. Jodi sighed and nodded yes. Kendal smiled wildly and nodded. "It's going to be fine, don't worry."

"Yeah, I know." Jodi sighed, trying to hide her doubt. Kendal put her arm on Jodi's shoulder and started to walk, Jodi followed only because Kendal had a death-grip on her shoulder.

"Look, if you don't want to go because of your dream, I'll understand." Kendal sighed, looking at Jodi with a sideways smile. Jodi shook her head no proudly and kept her eyes in front of her.

The day was fading away as the two girls hiked through the forest. Dry, dead leaves crunched underneath as they treaded towards the camping spot. Kendal stopped, put her things down and took a deep breath as she waited for Jodi to catch up to her. The sun pounded down upon the already red cheeks of Jodi as she huffed and puffed her way up the hill. 

Kendal smiled down on her friend and took a long breath in.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Kendal asked, looking around her, with her hands on her hips. Wonder and amazement filled her eyes, and shined bright with the small sun rays caught in her eyes.

"Yeah, just wonder-frikken-ful!" Jodi snapped as she scrambled up the path, her hands placed in front of her incase she tripped. She trudged closed and closer to Kendal until she was in just an arms reach of her. _Just why am I doing this? I should have just stayed home. Or we could have camped in my back yard! I hate hiking and I hate having to-- _Jodi thought harshly as her foot caught on a root and sent her flying face first into the ground. 

Jodi awoke, groaning with a throbbing pain on her nose and whole head. She blinked hard then strained her eyes open, as if waking from a dream. She looked around from where she lay, her foot was still tangled in the tree root, and the sun was still steadily fading. The only thing missing was Kendal. She tried to get up, but found that she could barely move her hands from underneath her. Jodi took a deep breath and let it out roughly. She just rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes again, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face. 

"Jodi? Jodi?" Kendal's voice whispered, reaching her hand out on Jodi's shoulder; shaking her lightly. Her voice filled more with worry when Jodi didn't open her eyes. "Jodi!"

"What!" Jodi screamed sitting straight up, looking angrily at Kendal. Kendal jumped back and fell flat on her bottom-side. Jodi growled angrily and shook the leaves and dirt out of her hair.

"Oh, shit." Kendal whispered holding her head in her hands. "Not again." Slowly she stood up and sighed. Jodi jumped up quickly but then fell back down again, the dizziness of the head still upon her. She looked up and shook her head. Kendal sighed and offered Jodi her hand; slowly she took it.

"I meant to do that." Jodi snapped, a little late. But already being pulled to her feet. When she stood up the dizziness took over her again and she wobbled in place as she looked down at Kendal's face. After a minute or two of holding her head, trying to balance herself, she realized that Kendal was a few inches shorter then usual. "What the bloody-hell am I standing on?" 

Jodi looked down and saw she was standing on a level piece of ground with Kendal. She shook her head and then looked at Kendal's feet. "What the hell happened to your feet?"

Kendal looked down and sighed. Her shoes were gone, but her feet were covered with curly hair and dirt. Kendal looked back up at Jodi and shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know that something weird is going on here."

"Well, no shit Sherlock." Jodi snapped, crossing her arms. Her jaw dropped as she looked at Kendal's hair, instead of her wavy golden blonde hair; it was curly with a mossy brown color to it, and her ears were large and pointed. Jodi reached out her hand and lightly touched Kendal's left ear.

"Uh, yeah." Kendal whispered, blushing, holding on to her ears. "I-I-I don't know."

The bushes all around rustled and soft whispers whispered in the distance. Jodi looked franticly around; Kendal froze dead in her place. Not a breath was drawn from the two for over a minute and the rustling subsided. They both let a long breath out. Then a flash of light blinded the two. 

Kendal and Jodi hit the ground, rendering them un-conscious. The whispers grew into strong, yet fair voices in the wind. The rest of that day, neither Jodi nor Kendal knew what happened.

"Morning sleepy-head." Was the first sentence that Jodi heard when she awoke. Kendal smiled down and sighed. "I thought you were dead."

"What are you talking about?" Jodi asked groggily, sitting up slightly; resting on her elbows. "What happened? The last thing I remember was trying to climb up that stupid hill. Did we make it?"

"Well, kind of." Kendal sighed, looking around with a disappointed smirk. Jodi rubbed her eyes with the balls of her hands and sat all the way up. She looked at Kendal, sighed, then did a re-take.

"Uh."

"Yeah, I'm a Hobbit and no you're not dreaming." Kendal sighed, not wanting to add more hysterics to the problem at hand then there already was. "Though, I wish we were."

"Right." Jodi nodded, not believing what she said. Obviously happily content on thinking it was a dream. She scratched her forehead then ran her hand through her hair. But her hand stopped when she felt something on her ear. "what the hell?" She asked herself, running her hand over what she felt, then she pulled it. Letting out a whimper, Jodi looked at Kendal.

"And you're an Elf." She sighed, looking over her shoulder. Kendal sighed again and helped pull Jodi to her feet. She did and stood in place, taking a breath looking over the wood area surrounding. Jodi was still trying to fully wake up. She stood there rubbing her eyes and blinking hard. Soon enough though, she nudged Kendal's arm.

"I'm hungry." Jodi wined, with a long sigh. Kendal paid no attention to her, but still kept her eyes locked on the surrounding forest. Jodi looked around and saw her pack lying near an old log. Gently she sat down and began to sift through her belongings. As Jodi was on her personal mission to stuff her face, a sudden cloud of doubt came over Kendal. She looked high up in the trees and a cold, bone chilling breeze was sent though her body. Quickly she re-coiled inward and sent her gaze to the ground, then she looked back up.

"You know?" Jodi sighed, taking her candy-bar out of her mouth. "you know, I'm not cut out to be an Elf. I mean look at me. I'd much rather be a _periannath_¹ than of the _eldalie_²." she sighed, looking at her half-eaten candy. 

"You'd much rather be a what, then a whatta-whatta?" Kendal asked, looking at Jodi; obviously confused. Jodi looked up and shrugged.

"I don't know; it just came out when I said it." Jodi snapped in her defense.

"Okay, yeah." Kendal sighed, rubbing the goose-bumps on her arms. The woods creaked as the two stood still. There was a cool breeze that rocked the leaves, making them whisper in the almost faded day. But as Kendal and Jodi listened more carefully; they could actually hear whispers. Kendal's ears perked up and she looked about. Peering into the darkness. Jodi froze in place, whether because she was frightened or a natural reaction; no one could tell. 

"Jo, look around will ya?" Kendal asked, slightly moving a young saplings branch out of her way. _If the books are right, you have better eye sight then me_. And with that one sentence flashing in her mind; a sudden flash of jealousy came over here. Fire and doubt filled her eyes, if only for a moment. Then she rubbed her arms some more; as if comforting herself back into the situation at hand.

Because the fact of the matter is: They were both lost in a foreign land, with different creatures that no books could or would ever speak of. Plus the fact they had been turned into a creature that was the complete opposite of who they really were. 

Kendal was an energetic, sporty, know-it-all who doesn't like depending on other people for help. While Jodi on the other hand; was a lazy (yet creative) individual who likes having other people wait on her. Hardly doing anything and getting very up-set would sometimes (more than not) send her into a psychotic episode, where her split personality would take over. But now they were in different kinds of bodies, one more fit for the other. And the only true thing they knew about this place was, they had to get out... and fast. The rest of the day dragged on and night covered them, for the second time (although, they didn't know it yet). The air grew dense as a mist of fog slowly covered the ground.

"Can we make a fire?" Jodi moaned, holding her jacket sleeves close to her body. Kendal looked at her and shook her head no. Jodi sighed and looked up into the sky. "_Ilmen'a vanima, n'uma_³?"

"What-" Kendal asked softly, her voice twanging into a slight British accent. Jodi looked at Kendal and shook her head, at the sudden change in Kendal's voice. Kendal coughed slightly and put her fingers up to her throat. She took in a deep breath before asking Jodi, "What does that mean?"

Jodi just shrugged and blinked her eyes. A few seconds later, she was out like a light, leaving Kendal to brave the darkness alone. She had moved Jodi from a sitting position into a laying down one, with her head in Kendal's lap. Kendal looked around and sighed, the mist was clearing and the stars twinkled above the leaves of the silver/green trees. It wasn't a cold night, but the emptiness of the wood was not much help in comforting Kendal, who was still awake. Keeping an eye, and ear, out for anyone (anything) that would come near. A few times she thought she heard the faint laughter of a group of travelers, but thought that it was just her restless body playing tricks. 

"So much for keeping watch." Kendal sighed groggily as she looked around from her place on the ground one last time. Finally she rubbed her eyes and fell asleep, resting her back on a large tree trunk. When she was fast asleep, the trunk caved in a bit, cradling the weight that Kendal had set on it. A soft humming came from the tree tops and the leaves swayed down, covering the two in a makeshift blanket.

× Elvish Translations ×

¹ periannath - Hobbit

² eldalie - Elf kin

³ Ilmen'a vanima, n'uma? - The night sky is beautiful, no?


	3. An Unknown Tongue

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An Un-known Tongue

The next morning, birds chirped in the trees and the sun shined through the leaves. Jodi awoke first, her head still placed in Kendal's lap. She quietly rubbed her eyes and sat up. She brushed the leaves off the upper-body, they crunched softly as she swiped them away. 

"_Amin farim, amin poika de; taur na-almare_º." Jodi sighed, standing up, brushing the dirt off the back of her legs and bottom. She looked at Kendal, still sleeping at the base of a trunk then turned around. Jodi smiled as she saw her pack still where she left it, along with her other things; by the fallen log. "_A! luume' ten'vasa_¹." She purred as she tugged a cooler out from under her bag. "_Sii' dun-Kendal_²."

Jodi tip-toed over to Kendal and lightly rocked her by the shoulder. Kendal's eyes fluttered, but she remained asleep. Jodi whispered her name and shook her more vigorously. Kendal moaned as she woke from her peaceful state and glared at Jodi. 

"What now?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. Jodi smiled and said,

"_Luume' ten'vasa_¹_._"

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Kendal glared again and sat up from the tree. "Okay-" she started before her voice was muffled by a feeling of an object lodged in her throat. She put her fingertips to her throat and coughed. Kendal started up again, only this time her voice was engulfed in an English accent. "Okay, you can just stop with what-ever language you're talking in. 'Tis getting very annoying."

Jodi looked at her half shocked and half angry, "_Ve' amin sintaya mani amin lipt'ien_!" She yelled, standing up, hovering over Kendal.

"Speak English!" Kendal yelled following in Jodi's movements. Even though Kendal was much shorter than her normal 5'5", and even more so then the day before. She tried to stare Jodi square in the eyes, but the height difference made it a difficult task. Even if Jodi hadn't grown at all.

"She said, "_Like I know, what I'm doing_." " A soft, slow voice said above the two girls. They both looked up and could see nothing. After a few seconds of silence, the voice spoke again. "Look over, by where, you slept."

Kendal and Jodi did as told, and still saw nothing. That was until the branch moved towards them, like the tree was holding out a hand. Jodi's eyes widened and she fell to the ground, not taking her eyes off the tree. Kendal looked at the branch that was coming ever so close to her and then looked at the ground; hoping it would go away. The tree chuckled and took in a deep, ragged breath before stating:

"We've been, watching you. Ever since the day, you came into, the forest." 

"Begging your pardon Miss, but just who are "_we_"? How many are there? And just what are you?" Kendal asked, now looking shyly up at the tree. First at the roots and slowly working her way up, she noticed that the tree had eyes. Sharp and vivid eyes, like that of a cat. That seemed kind and wise with a knack for telling stories. The tree took in another breath and waited a few seconds before telling her answer.

"You Hobbits do, tend to be, quite hasty." The Tree spoke before a pause, "and ask too many questions. And in, answer to one question, little Hobbit; I am an EntWife. Laurelin³, the Elves of, Old called me. I propose, you can do, the same."

"Wait. The Elves of Old? What's that mean? Are they all gone?" Kendal asked, with a stern look set upon her brow. Laurelin chuckled for a long while before answering. By that time Jodi had loosened up her disbelief and sat down upon the fallen log.

"Like I said, earlier. You Hobbits do, indeed, ask too, many questions." She said with a soft sigh. Then the ground shook, Kendal wiggled her way over to Jodi and they latched on to the log. Holding it for dear life. A few minutes later the shaking subsided. Jodi and Kendal looked at each other then at Laurelin with wonder and amazement. The EntWife was standing up straight and towered over the two. The log, of which they were holding on to was tilted slightly up wards. "Please, if you would, climb up here, so I can get, a better look."

"A better look at what?" Jodi softly snapped to herself as they slowly climbed up the log, onto the very top of Laurelin's branches. Jodi arrived first to her surprise and looked down to see Kendal struggling to find footing for her abnormally large feet. But that couldn't be. Kendal never had trouble climbing trees. Of course she was never three feet tall either when she did it. Jodi tried to help by telling her where she could put her foot, but Kendal didn't understand a word of the Elvish coming out of her friends mouth. But soon enough, Kendal figured out her footing and climbed atop Laurelin. With the two sitting on the Entwife's shoulders(if you will), Laurelin looked at the two and began to walk. Every step caused the two to jump in the air, until the rhythm was memorized. And as log as they held on, neither of them fell off. Jodi gasped as she realized that they had left everything behind, and whispered the news to Laurelin in Elvish. 

"Ho-ho." The Old Entwife bellowed, slowing her pace. "Young Elf, I have your things. I grabbed them, while the, young Hobbit, tried to climb up." Kendal looked at Jodi with a frown.

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Always thinking about your things. She thought, shaking her head. Then suddenly, as Laurelin stopped near a clearing. "Where are we going?"

"We're already there." Laurelin softly said, putting the branch-full of belongings down near a large stone cavern. She took in a breath before continuing with what she supposed the Hobbits questions were. "This is where I live. An Ent-house. Not much like the Old Ents built .The ones in Fangorn Forest, but, close enough. This is the door, right before us. Not much to see, on the outside. But inside, ah, that's where it's-" She said before taking a pause, as if The Old Entwife forgot what she was talking about.

"Laurelin, _lle quenad_?ºº" Jodi asked softly, looking towards the Entwife's face. Laurelin laughed and grasped the two that were upon her shoulders gently, and set them down on the ground. 

"You two shall, be my guests tonight. And for as long, as you see fit. You see, the others and I, have talked about you, for a while now. Two days, if I recall. And we want to see to it that, you both, are well taken, care of." Laurelin said, taking her sweet time. He whole speech lasting over ten minutes. In the mean time, Jodi and Kendal sat on the ground, listening. Maybe not with their full attention, but fully aware of what Laurelin was saying.

After a long and tiresome three hours of Laurelin's long speech, Kendal and Jodi watched as the EntWife moved a boulder from the cavern entrance with massive strength. They both starred in awe, until Laurelin motioned them to follow.

"Wow." Kendal gasped as she took in her first look of the cavern. The walls were made of glittering white stone and the floor was cushioned with grass; greener than green.

× Elvish Translations ×

º Amin farim, amin poika de; taur na-almare - I pray, my clean up would be bliss.

¹ A! luume' ten'vasa (Luume' ten'vasa) - Ah! Time for food. (Time for food.)

² Sii' dun-Kendal - Now to rise Kendal

³ Laurelin - Tree found in Evermeet

ººLaurelin, lle quenad? - Laurelin, you spoke?


	4. A Tale of Four Hobbits

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A Tale of Four Hobbits

"I'm comin' Mr. Frodo!" Samwise Gamgee yelled, trotting through the thicket of dense brush. The pots he had twined onto his pack clanked together as he moved through the forest. Frodo stood in a clearing, waiting for his mate. "Bless you for waiting for me. I know I took too long." Sam huffed as he neared Frodo. Frodo laughed, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Like I could ever leave you alone in the woods, Sam." Frodo chuckled as Sam blushed. With a shy smile as Frodo wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulder, they started of into the wild again. 

"Do you think it was wise to leave Merry and Pippin at the Inn?" Sam asked, then laughed slightly. "then again, what could possibly happen?"

"Yeah. What could happen?" Frodo nervously chuckled as he actually thought about what they had done, not even a day ago. _We're still in the Shire, nothing could happen. They're not that troublesome. I mean, they have grown up quite a bit. And I'm not just talking about in hat size either. But I do wonder-_ He thought, not speaking a word to Sam for over three minutes, which in turn made Sam nervous indeed. But instead of trying to make small talk, he decided to let Frodo think. They kept walking for an hour, still not speaking a word before Frodo stopped.

"What's wrong Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked, looking worried as Frodo looked behind him. 

"Just a strange feeling, Sam." Frodo said, still looking behind him. He turned to Sam, with worry filing his deep blue eyes. "I think we made a mistake." Sam put his hand on Frodo's shoulder and smiled.

"But mistakes can be fixed, like my Gaffer used to say; _Samwise, nothin' you do can't be un-done_." Sam quoted, then frowned. "No, wait. Someone else said that. Don't remember whom though. Oh well. Let's go find those two hoodlums, before they cause too much brick-a-bract." 

Frodo gave Sam a timid smile as they turned back towards The Green Dragon Inn. It was more then a day's journey back to where they left Merry and Pippin, and they both knew it - though neither said it aloud.

"Merry. Merry. Merry"

"What Pippin?" Merry yelled, turning with a glare on his face towards his younger cousin. Pippin coiled in and smiled shyly.

"Are you sure Frodo and Sam wont come back for us?" Pippin asked, now looking Merry in the eyes; but still afraid. Merry sighed and kicked at the dirt beneath his quite large feet.

"Are you trying to say that you don't think I know my way to Bree? Pippin, ye of little faith. I do know the way." Merry said with a smile before putting his hands on his younger cousin's shoulders and pushing him in front, and along the road towards Bree. The two journey onward, Pippin now leading in front. Laughing and giggling of old times when they ran off with most of Farmer Maggots crop; they had done it in there tweens, but it still brought a laugh to there lips. They reminisced for a few good hours on things they had done in they're early years, but fell quiet when Pippin quietly brought up the conspiracy against Frodo. It seemed like ages ago, and it was. But no one really liked to talk about it in the open anymore. And being on a road in the woods, it doesn't get anymore open then that.

"Maybe we should stop for a rest." Pippin suggested, his eyes wide and smile upon his lips as he patted the left pocket on his petticoat breast. Merry stopped and took a breath in, then nodded. 

"Aye. We could take a little stop, I suppose." He sighed, sitting on the side of the road. Merry ad Pippin sat in a thicket of grass that went to the top of their ears, if they were regular sized Hobbits, they would have been engulfed in blades of sticky grass. But the rest did not linger for long. Pippin couldn't take one puff of his pipe with out a blade or two finding their way up his nose. And Merry found it quiet hard to keep them from rustling inside his ears. Now, everyone knows that Hobbits aren't counted among the wise; Merry and Pippin, in this case are the reason. Every Hobbit in the Shire might think of them as noble and quick-witted, but the truth is, there just a couple of tweens stuck in grown-up bodies.

"Let's get a move on Pip." Merry sighed, standing up. Having enough of the grass in his ears. Pippin nodded and put his pipe back and stood up along site Merry. He looked at his cousin and noticed that Merry's ears were perked up. and he was looking nervously at the dense thicket of trees that laid just yonder from where they had just taken rest. Pippin looked at the same spot and noticed that the branches were rustling, against the breeze that swept through. He grabbed a hold of Merry's jacket and pulled him down into the grass again. _If only were we regular sized again_. Pippin thought as he poked his eyes over the top of the grass.

"C'mon Sam, I think the roads just over here." Frodo said, pushing branches out of his way. Sam hopped over a log and nodded, and stopped when a thorn pricket his heel.

"Confound-it all!" Sam yelled lifting his foot off the ground, taking a look at it before sitting on the ground. Frodo turned around and laughed. "'Tis no laughin' matter Mr. Frodo." Sam scolded, as if it were his young daughter, Eleanor who laughed at him.

"No, not at all." Frodo said, trying to gain his composure. He stood there watching Sam pick at his new wound gingerly, with his arms crossed. His eyes drifted away from Sam, however and focused on a huge hole in the ground. Slowly, Frodo walked towards it and bent down, tracing his fingers gently around the edge.

"Ah-ha! I got it!" Sam yelled in triumph, holding up the thorn in the space in front of him, so he could get a good look as to what he stepped on. Frodo looked back at Sam with a frown and back to the hole. Sam walked up to Frodo after tossing the thorn in a bush. "What you lookin' at Mr. Frodo?"

"I don't know." Frodo said, his voice drifting off when he saw another hole just a few yards ahead. He walked over to the next one and saw another, then another. Finally after following the holes for a while, it seemed familiar somehow. Then Sam said it.

"Don't these look like the tracks that those talkin' trees, Merry and Pippin were talking about, made?"

Frodo took a breath it and nodded, as he stood up with his hands on his lower back. "Indeed, they do. I thought I recognized something about them."

Merry and Pippin crouched down in the grass as they watched they tree branches move more. A booming sound thumped as the ground shook. Pippin looked at Merry, his eyes wide and mouth ajar. Merry kept his eyes posted on the forest. As if the trees knew they were being watched, the rumbling and rustling stopped. Pippin gasped slightly and stood up.

"What do you think happened?" He whispered, hovering over Merry; who was still sitting on the ground.

"I don't know Pippin. But would you sit down before you get us both killed?" Merry snapped, pulling Pippin back down. He landed on Merry and lay there; looking at the grass all around him. Merry sat there, his cousin on his lap, and tried not to scream. 

"Hoom. I think you should, get some rest. As hasty you two are. It's been a long day." A large voice boomed from behind the tree border. Merry and Pippin looked at each other and smiled.

"Treebeard." Pippin whispered, clamoring off Merry. 

"What would the Ents be doing out here?" Merry asked, as he watched Pippin jump up again, ready to run into the forest. Merry still had a tight grip on his cousins jacket. "And what's more, who is he talking to?" 

"What was that Merry? Oh, let go. I want to say hullo." Pippin cried, slapping Merry's hand, but it wouldn't move. Merry jerked his arm and pulled Pippin down again. "What was that for?"

"Shh Pip. I don't think it's Treebeard." Merry whispered, peering over the top of the grass. Pippin frowned and watched the branches move again. Two voices could be heard in one call, then the ground started to shake again.

Frodo and Sam stood at the same spot looking at the foot prints, they finally decided to call them. The day was passing and even though they had planned on making it to the road before nightfall, Sam feared that they wouldn't make it.

"Mr. Frodo? I think we best be leavin'. It'll be gettin' dark soon." He told Frodo in a quiet voice. But Frodo paid no attention, he was too busy thinking about whatever he was thinking about. Sam sighed and stood where he was and looked up at the sky, as it turned into a burning orange color.

"Do you think-" Pippin started before Merry put his hand over the younger Hobbits mouth. 

"Shh, Pip." He said quietly. The thumping could still be heard faintly. After it could no longer be heard, Merry removed his hand. "No, Pip. I don't think it was Treebeard."

"Then what was it?" Pippin asked, standing up and taking a step towards the forest. Merry shrugged and got up. "There's only one way to find out."

"Pippin!" Merry yelled as he looked at his younger cousin running in the grass, and into the forest. "Oh, Pip!" he growled before running off after him.

Pippin ran though the forest, looking at the ground for the tracks the Ents made. He remembered them clearly, mostly because he had spent nearly four weeks with them at one point in his life. Merry tried to keep up, but he hadn't done much in the physical since the quest to destroy the ring. He was glad for the rest actually, but not glad his cousin hadn't suppressed his curiosity and need for adventure. After about an hour of wandering through the woods, Merry found Pippin; sitting on a log near a spring.

"Didn't you hear me callin' you?" Merry scolded, gasping for his breath. Pippin said nothing and looked down at the spring. "Pippin?" he asked, sitting next to him. Still Pippin said nothing and looked into the water.

"I saw her Merry! I saw her!" Pippin exclaimed a few minutes later, with a huge smile on his face. Merry frowned and shook his head.

"You saw who Pip?" Merry asked, with a eye brow raised. Pippin looked at Merry, his smile still growing wildly.

"The Elf-maiden, Merry. I saw her! And she saw me, I think. Well, she smiled and waved and spoke something and it felt like she told me to look in the water, and so I did. And when I looked up she- she." Pippin rambled on, about his encounter; his voice filled with sadness and his smile faded as he finished his sentence, "she was gone."

"Mr. Frodo, I think it's time we leave." Sam snapped, tugging Frodo's arm back in the direction of the road. Frodo struggled a bit then sighed. 

"Alright Sam. Let's go." He said softly, they walked for a few minutes before the ground rumbled and the trees started to sway. "Sam?" Frodo whimpered, letting himself fall to the ground.

"Frodo!" Sam yelled, picking him back up. The trees moved more viciously around their pathway, and it seemed as if they were charging at the two Hobbits. "Run Mr. Frodo! Run!" Sam yelled, pushing Frodo off in the other direction. Sam followed and soon they were running as fast as their furry feet would take them. "Keep goin' Frodo! Keep goin'!" Sam encouraged, even though the trees were no where to be found. They were huffing and puffing as they neared a clearing, but a wail from an unknown source sent them into a running frenzy. As the two looked back, they collided with something. Frodo was sent into a small spring, and Sam was knocked to the ground by a log.

"Pippin, look! It's Sam !" The familiar voice of Merry chirrped. Sam looked around and saw he was on the ground next to Merry. "Where's Frodo?"

"Frodo?" Sam squeaked, scrambling his way off the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Frodo standing up, next to the spring. "Why, Mr. Frodo; why are you soppin' wet?"


End file.
